Any music lover seriously audition D'Agostino Monoblocks and go with something else?

caesar

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May 30, 2010
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Anyone spend some serious time with the D'Agostino monoblocks and choose something else? What and Why? And what was the system?

Anything out there better than these amps - for Music Lovers (vs. flat measurement guys)?
 

joeinid

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Mar 14, 2011
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I like to switch between my D'Agostino stereo amp and my Dartzeel 108 as the mood strikes me. If I had to choose, I think the Dartzeel wins.
 

XV-1

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May 24, 2010
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I like to switch between my D'Agostino stereo amp and my Dartzeel 108 as the mood strikes me. If I had to choose, I think the Dartzeel wins.

Good thing you don't have to Joe. ;). Got that bloody Dag pre amp yet?

Back to op question.

The Mom Stereo is a wonderfully liquid pure sounding amplifier. Has plenty of control, musical flow and power on tap so you can crank it to the floor if required.
The first ss amp that has not wanted me to go back to my big tube monoblocks anytime quick.
 
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Mike Lavigne

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Apr 25, 2010
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Michael Fremer. and he's famously not a measurement guy.

but he did say the 'D' monos were his second favorite amps to the 2.75x as expensive dart 458's.

whenever I've heard the 'D' mono's they've been very impressive to me. but I've not spent any quality time with them. i'm here at the Newport show today and will likely have the pleasure again assuming they are here.
 

joeinid

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Mar 14, 2011
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Shane


Another couple of weeks. Ugh.

The D'Agostino amps are wonderful. Full bodied tone with wonderful sound stage and air to the music. I'm sure I don't need the power, but I would love to step up to the mono amps from the stereo amp. It's nice to have choices.
 

MadFloyd

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May 30, 2010
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Shane


Another couple of weeks. Ugh.

The D'Agostino amps are wonderful. Full bodied tone with wonderful sound stage and air to the music. I'm sure I don't need the power, but I would love to step up to the mono amps from the stereo amp. It's nice to have choices.

I traveled to Detroit (from Mass) just to hear these amps (actually it was the Stereo version) and was seriously disappointed. Too thin sounding for my taste (I need a certain amount of meat-on-the-bones).
 

joeinid

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I traveled to Detroit (from Mass) just to hear these amps (actually it was the Stereo version) and was seriously disappointed. Too thin sounding for my taste (I need a certain amount of meat-on-the-bones).

Something must have been wrong somewhere. Comparing the D'Agostino to my Burmester 911's (both stereo and mono versions) from memory, I felt the D'Agostino is just as full sounding as the 911's but with an ease and lack of nervousness but with a tiny bit softer treble which I love on my TADs. The D'Agostino is so much more pleasing to listen to and once warmed up, it amazing. I find from cold to a musical tone could be 30-60 minutes for the Dagostino. It's great from turn on but after a little while it's wonderful.
 

MadFloyd

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Something must have been wrong somewhere. Comparing the D'Agostino to my Burmester 911's (both stereo and mono versions) from memory, I felt the D'Agostino is just as full sounding as the 911's but with an ease and lack of nervousness but with a tiny bit softer treble which I love on my TADs. The D'Agostino is so much more pleasing to listen to and once warmed up, it amazing. I find from cold to a musical tone could be 30-60 minutes for the Dagostino. It's great from turn on but after a little while it's wonderful.

I listened to it two days in a row. The first time it was with ARC source and preamp and all I could hear was the ARC sound signature. This did give me the impression that the D'Agostino was very neutral however.

The next morning I was listening to the Doshi pre + Dosh amp into Wilson Sashas and at one point we replaced the Doshi amps for the D'Agostino (stereo). It was cold but I was told that it doesn't need to warm up (or at least that's my recollection - it was last September). Admittedly we're going from a tube amp to solid state and perhaps the synergy between the Doshi pre and the D'Agostino amp wasn't there, but the presentation was flat, thin and lifeless to my (and my wife's) ears.

I remain fascinated about this amp because I'm probably the only soul on earth who hasn't sung it's praises and look forward to a future time when I can re-evaluate it.
 

still-one

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I listened to it two days in a row. The first time it was with ARC source and preamp and all I could hear was the ARC sound signature. This did give me the impression that the D'Agostino was very neutral however.

The next morning I was listening to the Doshi pre + Dosh amp into Wilson Sashas and at one point we replaced the Doshi amps for the D'Agostino (stereo). It was cold but I was told that it doesn't need to warm up (or at least that's my recollection - it was last September). Admittedly we're going from a tube amp to solid state and perhaps the synergy between the Doshi pre and the D'Agostino amp wasn't there, but the presentation was flat, thin and lifeless to my (and my wife's) ears.

I remain fascinated about this amp because I'm probably the only soul on earth who hasn't sung it's praises and look forward to a future time when I can re-evaluate it.

I tried Nick's pre-amp in my system with my Momentum's and found it lacking at the top end even if the mid's gained some nice depth. The synergy you probably get by paring Nick's gear is probably along the lines of matching Dan's mono blocks and pre-amp. That is something special.
 

KeithR

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May 7, 2010
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Momentums certainly seem to be the amp du jour--- reminds me of the Halcro hype years back.

I find it curious that no one compares the Momentums to Dan's former EVOs.
 

still-one

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Momentums certainly seem to be the amp du jour--- reminds me of the Halcro hype years back.

I find it curious that no one compares the Momentums to Dan's former EVOs.

Don't worry. Gear is continuing to improve and someone will come along with something new or a different flavor very soon.
 

asiufy

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Jul 8, 2011
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Never mind, I read Alexia on the original post. I must be going crazy. Deleted my post.
 

Togil

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May 19, 2013
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I heard the Momentums on Wilson Alexandrias in London, playing a symphony. While brass sounded superb , strings clearly had a solid state edge to it.
 

LL21

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I heard the Momentums on Wilson Alexandrias in London, playing a symphony. While brass sounded superb , strings clearly had a solid state edge to it.

Heard the same setup...Amos Lee (Blue Note, featuring Norah Jones) was a bit shouty/hard which very much surprised me. Given my own experiences with Wilsons, Metronome Kalista Ref/C2A, ARC Ref 5SE and TA Opus MM2 cabling (the setup when I was there)...it was one of 2 things: setup or the Momentums. I think a lot of the shout was the room setup...I was told it was originally setup one way...and the guys who were there (Dealer staff) thought it was organic and sublime...it was then completely rearranged just before they opened the doors to the press function and the sound was more showy but not more nuanced/organic, and it had some shout in it. oh well.

as for the hardness on strings, I did not listen to enough music with strings at the time, but it would not surprise me. However, I remain convinced that setup the original way, if I could have heard it, it probably would have been superb with no shout/hardness...but on the strings I would not venture to guess given that I have not spent enough time with the Momentums to know. I do know some serious tube-philes who love the Momentum stereo and would not stand for hard strings...note that i am told by the dealer the Stereo seems to have slightly more sweetness to it relative to the monos which come across more 'powerful but strictly linear' in his book.
 

nirodha

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Aug 11, 2010
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Momentums certainly seem to be the amp du jour--- reminds me of the Halcro hype years back.

I find it curious that no one compares the Momentums to Dan's former EVOs.

Wow, that is a bit harsh :p . Strange question but...what happened to Halcro?
 

XV-1

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vess

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Momentums certainly seem to be the amp du jour--- reminds me of the Halcro hype years back.

I find it curious that no one compares the Momentums to Dan's former EVOs.

Hi, Halcro and D'Agostino have nothing in common - harsh vs liquid sound. Also, Halcro got one positive review in Stereophile ( hype on steroids ), D'Agostino - dozens of rave reviews from respectable guys. Halcro is gone for obvious reasons, D'Agostino will remain in Hall of Fame for sure - future classic. Tube magic with balls, what more could one audiophile ask for ...

Vess
 

XV-1

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Hi, Halcro and D'Agostino have nothing in common - harsh vs liquid sound. Also, Halcro got one positive review in Stereophile ( hype on steroids ), D'Agostino - dozens of rave reviews from respectable guys. Halcro is gone for obvious reasons, D'Agostino will remain in Hall of Fame for sure - future classic. Tube magic with balls, what more could one audiophile ask for ...

Vess

very true. It may seem that KeithR has heard neither, nor understood the hype of the then Halcro - superb measurements vs the positive musical reviews of the D'Agostino. M Colloms even states that the Mum Stereo does not measure quite as well as the EVO 402e but sounded quite a bit better
 

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